I, Jedi By Michael A Stackpole. one of the greatest stories of the Star Wars EU.

Ah, yes, unifortunately The Big U is from 1984 or something. If you read it, you'll certainly feel that, while well written and interesting, it lacks a bit of the complexity of his later works.

This one of his that I've never gotten to, but just wondering if you've read Zodiac by him as well? If so, thoughts on that? I love his stuff, but these two are the only ones I've not read by him.

I've read Zodiac several times already and I can recommend it, even more than the Big U. The story about eco-activism and ecoterrorism is really interesting and well-written, to my opinion. Of course, it's one (relatively) small volume, but still, it's very good, I found.

MAD's Looks, Listens and Laughs by Dave Berg
A whole bunch of collected panel comics by Dave Berg published in 1979. I got a few chuckles out of them.

Papa Hemingway by A.E. Hotchner
The last 10+ years of Hemingway's life is written here by his business agent/friend. Mainly business trips and vacations. Hemingway's struggles/illnesses and influences are frankly wrote about. Especially his struggle with mental illness toward his end. Apparently mental illness was looked at differently in the 60s.
Hemingway gives out plenty of anecdotes of his life that seems hard to believe. I have the feeling he's bullshitting his readers a bit.
Hemingway's most unbelievable anecdote: While in France, he tossed out an uncaring patron of a bar and his pet leopard defecating on the bar floor for the third time. Yep, no one did anything the first time or the 2nd shitshow.

Books read in 2018

Tantras - Scott Ciencin

Second volume of the Trilogy of the Avatars. More of the same, not bad at all, but I think the french translations might be abridged versions, after all...

So far in 2018: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/books_finished_in_2018/post9

★★☆ Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion / Robert B. Cialdini

Very nice introduction to persuasion and manipulation methods. The book has kind of cult status for social sciences and I'm not sure how I missed that. Interesting reading.

★★★ Biel. Notatki z Afryki / White. Notes from Africe / Marcin Kydryński

Fascinating and beautifully written. Book tries to show the truth about Africa, but from perspective of man who nows it well and loves it.

★★☆ Czarna szabla / The Black Sabre / Jacek Komuda

As most of Komuda's books - historical fiction in the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Really nice swashbuckler, recommend.

List of all books finished in 2018.

Rama II - Arthur C. Clarke

A classic S-F book from a master. Several decades after the first encounter between Mankind and an alien empty spaceship, another one enters the solar system. That time, Mankind wants to uncover its true secrets.

A very interesting sequel to [i]Rendez-vous with Rama. Written with style, it's not only a science-fiction story but also a human, psychological adventure. Very recommended. Two more sequels follow, I'm currently reading through them.

So far in 2018: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/books_finished_in_2018/post9

Conan the Usurper #8 By Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague De Camp
Contains 4 short stories:
The Treasure of Tranicos
Wolves beyond the Border; unusual in that Conan is relegated to the backstory and story is focused on a frontier scout ranger.
The Phoenix on the Sword
The Scarlet Citadel

Books read in 2018

Just finished The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Great story. Starts off slow, but they all do. Now I'm eager to find out what happend next in book 2.

A Shoot, by Paul O'Brien. It's the second in a trilogy of crime novels focused on pro wrestling in the mid-70s. The first book ended on a mostly happy note except for one character being shockingly murdered and this book picks up immediately afterward and focuses on the fallout from that. The books aren't comedic but the first one had an Elmore Leonard-like quirkiness to it (it's about wrestling, after all) which mostly disappears in this book, which is quite dark. The books don't have a ton of wrestling action, being focused on the backroom stuff, but the first book at least did have some important scenes built around in-ring events but that almost entirely vanishes here in favor of people going out for revenge, struggling with mob loans, crooked cops, or hitmen. The story also leaps back and forth between the past and present, focusing on characters who seemed under-developed in the first one and giving important new perspectives on previous events. It's skillfully done and it's a pretty quick and good read.

★★☆ Birdy / William Wharton
★☆☆ Think Bayes / Allen B. Downey
★★★ Naucz mnie żyć. Esej o ojcostwie / Xavier Lacroix
★☆☆ Retire Young, Retire Rich / Robert T. Kiyosaki
★☆☆ Data Science from Scratch / Samuel Harris

List of all books finished in 2018.

I think the only "new" book I've read this year has been 'The Neverending Story' by Michael Ende.
But i have reread the three books of the Dragonlance Chronicles, 'The Player of Games' by Iaine M. Banks, and I'm halfway through the Elric books by Michael Moorcock which I read in my teens, but have zero memory of.

Treason by the Book by Jonathan D. Spence

Bit of a depressing historical read in 1725 China. It started with a letter to a frontier governor general. The letter criticized the current Emperor of China. The messenger is arrested and interrogated. The emperor then mobilized his minions to track and arrest anybody connected to the letter. The investigation was very meticulous. A man named Zeng Jing was arrested. Zeng Jing was apparently inspired by a poet long dead named Lu Liuliang. The Emperor then initiated a written conversation with Zeng Jing, attempting to educate him. Zeng learned more about the Empire. He then wrote out his remorse. He then was freed. The Emperor then ordered a book made named Awakening from Delusions.

The Emperor then died. One of his sons took the throne, ordered his father's book banned. Zeng Jing is arrested and executed. Lu Liuliang's descendants are either executed or enslaved.
Public morality and correct thinking and intoleration of dissent was very much alive in 1725 China.

Books read in 2018